Government funds innovation in rural health service delivery

Associate Health Minister Damien O’Connor today encouraged rural health services nationwide to apply for government grants aimed at strengthening rural health service delivery.

The $300,000 Rural Health Innovation Fund is distributed as one-off grants to successful applicants up to a maximum of $50,000 for 12 month projects trialling new ideas to strengthen rural health service delivery.

Mr O’Connor said the Labour-led Government is committed to supporting innovation in rural health service delivery to overcome challenges faced by those in rural areas.

“This commitment is what led to the introduction of the Rural Innovation Fund two years ago. Obviously some of the challenges faced by rural health practitioners and providers in New Zealand are different from those faced in urban areas.

“I encourage rural health services to apply to the Ministry of Health for grants from the fund. The Ministry is particularly interested in receiving innovative proposals aimed at enhancing the recruitment and retention of rural health professionals, for example rural midwives.

In the past, successful applications have come from across New Zealand. Diverse projects have been funded such as developing an online library of innovative rural health projects, career planning for rural nurses and trialling community health development nursing positions.

“We are starting to see some promising results from this fund. For example, Ralph La Salle of Gore Health recently presented his work on a website tool called My Personal Health Record. It is a patient-centered website which summarises available health information on a patient. This website tool puts the patient in control of the information available on their health.

"Such projects show how the delivery of rural health care services may be improved. I challenge other rural health professionals to come up with other bright ideas for innovative projects,” said Mr O’Connor.

More information about the fund and applications is available on the Ministry of Health’s website http://www.moh.govt.nz Applications close on 31 March 2008.